The term ‘cult hero’ is used loosely in football these days, but Russell Hoult is a bonafide player that West Brom supporters would consider this label for.
Happy birthday, Houlty pic.twitter.com/pmAEMLHiCQ
— West Bromwich Albion (@WBA) November 22, 2019
The former goalkeeper was essential to the Baggies gaining promotion to the Premier League in the 2001/02 season, breaking a club-record for most clean sheets in a season for West Brom and maintaining his spot in the XI after entering the top-flight.
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Whilst Hoult was under consideration by Sven-Goran Eriksson to represent England in that period of the football, the former Albion shot-stopper never got the chance to represent the Three Lions despite impressing for West Brom in the Premier League before losing his spot to Chris Kirkland as reported by The Telegraph.
Yet despite eventually fading away from the starting XI, Hoult is still considered a cult hero with the club, and West Brom’s official Twitter account kept their admiration for the former shot-stopper with a birthday post for the now 47-year-old.
Here’s what some West Brom fans had to say about Hoult on Twitter, with a few supporters wishing the former keeper well on his birthday as well as praising his previous time with the Albion…
The original England’s Number One
— The Last Blairite #TrueLabour (@LastBlairite) November 22, 2019
— silky (@ConnorJSilk) November 22, 2019
Happy birthday England’s number 1 @russhoult @GKUnion
— Ryan Sharrock (@MusicNerd1986) November 22, 2019
@russhoult thank you, Houlty! Proving why you’re my favourite Albion keeper! Thank you for the R/T (and all those clean sheets in 01/02!)
— Stuart Hall (@StuartHall2611) November 22, 2019
We have been blessed with good goalkeepers down the Baggies, Hoult was up there with the best of them.
— Kevin Green (@KevinGr18640522) November 22, 2019
Second only to Ben Foster in terms of Albion keepers in the modern era. Proper cult hero
— alf (@alfwbaV3) November 22, 2019
Hoult was honoured as one of the club’s greatest ever players in 2005 to celebrate the 125th anniversary of West Brom’s inception.